, 1887-09-28
a PROSPEROUS CHURCH.
How Rev. Ebenezer ~Snodgrass Opened
One In Deadwood.

1T takes enterprise, perseverance and
occasionally a great deal of courage and
figuring to place a church in a new camp
on its feet" said the Rev. Ebenezer
Snodgrass the other evening. when |
established the Center Shot church in
Deadwood in 1876 | rented a wall tent
with the lasC dollar l had on earth and
assembled a congregation by discharging
my six shooter at the entrance to the tab
ernacle. reckon the gang thought that
somebody was about to open a faro game
with a ceiling limit, or that a free for all
dance was about to come off. This
occurred before | lost my voice by receiv-
ing a buckshot in the windpipe while
assisting in the repulse of a gang of claim
jumpers in Arizona.
81 set the ball rolling by singing
'Baby's Got a Tooth, and followed this
up by stating the objects of the meeting,
which were, as a matter of course, men
toned rather indefinitely in the call. |
notified the gang that no town could
exist and thrive without a Gene
terry and a church. Saloons, va
riety theaters and keno halls were all
right, but their owners could never coz
duct them successfully unless aided by the
pacifying influences of a first class church.
The cemetery had been started when
Slim Jim shot Five Ace Johnny for
stacking cards on him during the prog
ress Of a sociable 81. so ante game. |
concluded by boldly announcing that l
proposed to establish the Center Shot
church, and would expect the citizens to
support it literally, regardless of creed,
age, size, color or previous record in the
states. Then | made myself solid with
the gang by appointing Hodoo Brown, All
Night Pete and Windy Bob. three of the
most popular men in the diggings, as a
committee to preserve order during the
services. Then l repeated the Lords
prayer in an impressive manner substi-
tuting whisky for bread in the SEN
tence Give US this day our daily, etc. F."
in order to avoid trouble in the camp. |
followed my declaration of principles and
opening ceremonies with the first and
most eloquent sermon that had ever been
delivered in hat section. l took for my
text that beautiful passage, Ante or
Pass the Buck
My style evidently suited the boys, for
when the hat was passed | weighed the
dust at once, and was pleased and graft
fed to learn that just $3.50 had been con-
tributed by the gang. In a speech of
thanks l informed the boys that upon the
following Sunday | would hold services in
a hall which l would build with the
money, and that all corners could sit in
chairs. Three cheers were given for the
Center Shot church, and | was announc-
ing that the ~doxology would be sung prior
to adjournment to Fatty Johnson's saloon.
when the cracker box which | had been
standing upon suddenly collapsed.
1T was an unfortunate incident, in
deed, and n that l always deeply re-
GREETED. All night Pete, who was filed
to overlooking with religious enthusiasm,
accused Windy Bob of kicking it out
from under me, and said that nobody but
a hypocrite would do such a dirty trick.
Bob responded that any man who would
steal gold dust from a preacher would lie,
and that he could prove by me that Pete
would do both. | tried to settle the
dispute by arbitration, but Bob became
angry and struck at me. | reached for
my revolver, merely intending to bluff
him out or, if pressed, to knock him out,
as the weapon was not loaded. All night
Pete was quicker than either of us how
ever, and blew Bob's brains out before the
unbeliever could reach his hip pocket.
1.-The incident made both myself and
the noble cause for which | was laboring
very popular in the camp, and 1 never
lacked for either congregation or funds
with which to carry on the good work.
Bob wasn't a bad man by any means,
simply hot tempered, and his remains
were laid beside those ofFive Ace Johnny
with BETTING ceremonies and great eclat.